As big as 6-foot-6-inch, 275-pound Rob Gronkowski is physically, now that he seems to be back to his normal self on the football field, his impact on the Patriots’ offense has been just as large.

Since the fourth-year tight end made his return against the Jets in Week 7 after sitting out the first six games of the season as he recovered from multiple arm surgeries as well as a back procedure, New England has looked a lot more like the offense that put up impressive numbers week after week in recent years, not the sputtering unit it was without him.